Page 35 of My Silver Fox Savior

“Oh …” She relaxes atinybit. “Right, and what do you think, Mom?” Lily does an excellent job hiding how anxious this conversation makes her, but I can see the nerves.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’ve always told you never to get involved with an older man. They have too much of an advantage over you. They can twist your head any way they want, and you, Lily, withhim? He was your knight in shi?—”

“Mom,” she cuts in, her cheeks blushing fiercely.

“Well, he was!” she snaps. “How are you going to judgeanythingwith him accurately?”

“I’m not trying to trick anyone,” I bark, standing up. “I’m not that sort of guy. I never have been. I haven’t dated in years; even when I did, it was hollow. It wasn’t like …” I stare at Lily, the messiness of her hair and flushed cheeks, that lip-biting that entrances me. “… this.”

She swallows, her throat shifting, the blush spreading. It’s like I can see the uncertainty battling inside her.

“Please, Landon,” Vivian says. “We don’t need to hear this. Lily needs time to process the kiss.”

“Mom, don’t speak for me,” Lily replies.

“Am I wrong?” Her mother demands.

“I … I don’t know!” she yells, throwing her hands up.

“See? Now you’re stressing her out.”

“It’s nothim, Mom. It’s just everything.”

“Everything, meaning the kiss.”

“Mom,” she snaps. “Please.”

“I’m going to give my honest opinion on this.” Vivian glares at me, a far cry from the gratitude I’ve seen on her face until now. “There’s only one reason older men target women your age. They wantcontrol.”

“She’s making melosecontrol,” I say, my voice loud, my passion too obvious. “Until I saw her at The Row, I lived a cold, calculated life. I wasice. You hear me? Then she came along and melted me, and I don’t give a damn how that sounds.”

“Meltedyou,” Vivian hisses. “After, what, a few meetings? One? Two? How many?”

“Mom,” Lily whispers, her voice tangled with confusion. “You don’t know how I feel about this.”

“Do you?” Vivian counters, and Lily doesn’t have an answer for that. She folds her arms and stares right at me. Despite the circumstances, I have to admire her mother-bear instincts. I’m happy Lily has somebody so capable and fierce looking out for her. “Let’s make it simple. Are you going to marry my daughter?”

“Mom.”

“Do you envision a serious future? Let’s assume this isn’t a scam to get her into bed. Let’s assume you’re not just playing on her emotions.”

“That’s a safe assumption,” I say coldly.

“How far are you going to take this?”

“Mom …”

“I have every right to ask,” Vivian snaps.

“I don’t know,” I say.Months, not years …“Recently, I went to the doctor. He gave me some bad news. Truthfully, I don’t know how much longer I’ve got.”

“What?” Vivian snaps, and I know right away she doesn’t believe me. I can’t blame her. I saw how badly Russ messed with her head. “Do you expect us to believe that?”

“Are you serious?” Lily says, her voice cracking.

“Yeah,” I say. “I’m just waiting on the follow-up appointment to confirm a few details, but the doc said it looks like months, not years.” Emotion tears at my voice, making it raspy, husky. “Truthfully, I don’t know what kind of future I can offer, but I’d never hurt Lily. I’d never manipulate her. I’d neveruseher.”

I stride for the door. There’s a tear in my eye, just one. I can feel it clinging to my lash like it’s trying to make me break down. This is all too damn much to go from an ordered, peaceful existence to this.

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